Book Characters that Movies Messed Up

Movies based on books are always the best. They’re always the most hyped up and always the most franchised. But they’re also notorious for getting the details wrong. Or even big plot lines. Or CHARACTERS.

The sweetheart of the Harry Potter movies: Luna Lovegood, played by Evanna Lynch. She’s a super weirdo, but also weirdly and undeniably charming. She’s instantly likeable.

But that’s not the Luna in the book. The book character is a super weirdo, yeah, and she is undeniably charming. But that’s only when Harry gets to know her that he realizes she’s a sweetheart — and even that takes a while. To the everybody else, Luna is the outsider. She’s the girl that people laugh at and don’t careabout. The movies’ mistake is presenting her as being charmingly whimsical and cutely eccentric. And Evanna Lynch, though I realize J.K. Rowling herself chose her to be Luna, in my opinion is too pretty to be Luna. Luna was in my mind plain and maybe even a little bit pudgy, kind of like how the younger Neville was.

In the movie, she just doesn’t emulate the aura of someone who is disliked and bullied. And she freaking rocks those radishes in the movie.

I bet most of you never knew Breakfast at Tiffany’s was a novella. I bet most of you didn’t know that it wasn’t a romantic story either.

But lo and behold, the film adaption by Blake Edwards has done what people for centuries have tried and failed to do: turn a gay man straight. That’s right. Audrey’s handsome, dreamy, caring one-sided kind-of-lover/best friend is actually supposed to be her gay best friend. “Fred” was never in love with Holly Golightly (a.k.a. Audrey Hepburn). The book character was never friend-zoned. And I think that’s why Holly felt ok revealing little truths about herself to Fred, specifically the book character’s Fred, where she didn’t to other men.

The movies just wanted Julie Andrews. And let’s face it, you can’t make Julie Andrews out to be a villain. Or even just a little bit mean. You look at her and you automatically see Fräulein Maria singing about raindrops on roses or Marry Poppins singing supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. A mean Julie is not believable.

But Queen Clarisse Renaldi, the book’s character, is undeniably mean. And of course, she loves Mia, but really she’s strict — not sweet. In the book, Mia even commented on how the movies made her grandmère out to be some typical lovely grandmother. And scoffed.

The 2013 adaption of Carrie really annoyed me. And I mean really annoyed. Because Chloë Grace Moretz, who plays Carrie, is freaking beautiful. Long golden curls, large innocent eyes, slim youthful figure, and a heart-shaped face — no matter how much fake blood you cover her in, she’s gorgeous. And a girl like that is just not Carrie.

The book character is supposed to be repulsive looking. She dresses in cringeworthy Amish-like clothing; her hair is short, mousy, and a colourless blonde; she’s chubby; she’s got horrendously acute acne (and back-ne); and her skin is sallow. She walks with a waddle, due to bad coordination, and her eyes are always glued to the floor. She’s the type of girl people avoid, laugh at, and are secretly scared of whenever she gets close. Not because they know she’s got telekinetic powers, but because she’s got cooties. Carrie is unlikable and weird and not normal.

And the prize for the book character most unacceptably messed up goes to…. Willy Wonka. Specifically, the Willy Wonka Tim Burton’s adaption of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from 2005. He’s makes Willy Wonka out to be a completely messed up and aloof overgrown child with daddy problems. And dumb hair.

Now, the book character Willy Wonka is weird too. But less in a creepy way and more in a mildly offbeat way. He’s clever and calculating and has a way warmer disposition. I mean, he’s a nice guy. He makes candy and chocolate for crying out loud.

Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, walked out of the screening of the first film adaption, which was much more loyal to the book. I imagine him turning in his grave at Tim Burton’s.

Tell us:

[quote_center]What other book characters were messed up by the movie adaptions?[/quote_center]

5 COMMENTS

I disagree about Evanna Lynch just because before she was casted in Harry Potter she was a real life nerd, pretty plain with a lot of insecurities. She was battling anorexia and hospitalized when JK Rowling told her that if she beat anorexia she would be casted as Luna Lovegood and I think that’s pretty important in how she got casted not because she had the look for it for that she could act quirky.

Actually, I found Luna to be extremely in character. I didn’t like how Ginny was portrayed: she had little to no dialogue in the movies, and while it isn’t Bonnie Wright’s or Daniel Radcliffe’s fault, she also had zero chemistry with Harry (The kiss in Deathly Hallows: Awkward…. >.<)
While I can't pretend that she's my favorite character (due to HalfBlood Prince: Sorry, J.K. Rowling, but Hermione, Ginny, Harry, Ron and the school when it came to Ginny seemed out of character in that book), I still will defend her against the injustice she was delivered in the movies.
Which is difficult for me, as I'm a Harry/Hermione fan, so part of me cackled gleefully when there were more Harry/Hermione scenes (Sorry!).

Anyway, enough about Harry Potter;
A fandom where the movies were MANGLED (Christopher Columbus and Thor Freudenthal, I expected more from you two, although Rick Riordan may also be at fault for not taking charge like J.K. Rowling)
is the Percy Jackson Series:
Here SOME of my complaints:

-Annabeth is a brunette and acts like a COMPLETE IDIOT and is really out of character, not to mention everyone else

-ALL OF THE CHARACTERS ARE WAY TOO OLD FOR THE BOOKS THE MOVIES ARE BASED UPON.

Really? Luna messed up in the movies? She’s actually better in the movies than in the books. Also, Rowling didn’t cast her in the movies, Evanna got the role in a open audition against 15.000 girls, and said that Evanna was so much like Luna that she actually inspired her in the final book. The ceiling in Luna’s bedroom is actually a homage to Evanna, Rowling herself said it.

Also, being pretty doesn’t make you less victim of bullying and being ignored. The books explains that Luna is ignored for saying weird stuff and because she believes the stuff her father publish in the Quibbler. There’s far more worst ways some other characters in the Harry Potter books have being made in the movies, but Luna is one of the few who actually improves over the character.